OPINION: People are right to criticise the recent ‘Epstein float’

People are right to criticise the recent ‘epstein float’, writes Aoife Sheehan.

The recent St Patrick’s Day float depicting public figures involved in the ‘Epstein Files’ scandal has made headlines last week, and not for a good reason.

The floats appeared in four St Patrick's Day parades across Mayo and Galway.

READ NEXT: Tipperary theatre to reopen after renovations were carried out over the last six months

Videos of the float circulating online depict a person wearing a wig on a mattress being wrestled down by a number of other people.

It is behaviour like this, depicting acts of sexual violence for ‘a bit of fun’, that normalises and desensitises society to these issues.

The father of one of the teenage boys involved in the controversial float has said that ‘nobody was hurt’ and has defended his son.

READ NEXT: Boherlahan's Darren Hassett bids farewell to Tipperary after six years as Editor

Except this is not fully the case.

In the aftermath of commentary about the float, the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre labelled the incident as 'extremely insensitive' to survivors.

Criticism of the float is not about suppressing humour or limiting freedom of speech or artistic expression, but instead it’s about recognising that not all subject matter is appropriate for a public stage.

Put yourself in the shoes of a survivor and imagine seeing that float pass by while watching your local St Patrick’s Day parade, which you usually enjoy.

This is what organisers and participants of this parade and float should have done, and prevents this all from happening.